Conflict and its Impact Upon Youth
Prakash Bhattarai
Nepal has suffered from ongoing conflict and tensions. The conflict has not only affected a particular group, community or specific situation of the nation but the entire process of the country particularly extension of development, to drive the nation according to the demands of new decades and to sustain and compete in the global market economy. Seven years long, Maoist movement is not a violent expression to achieve the political power for establishing peoples republic rather it is a radical social movement, which has already taken 7400 peoples’ lives by the name of people’s war.
Globally the youth are facing different kinds of problems. The youths from the developing countries like Nepal are especially deprived of their basic rights and they are deprived of getting opportunities. With reference to Nepal social, economic and cultural context and status of the country it has been found that the youths directly or indirectly involved and influenced by the violation. The killed and the killer of the present violence both are representing productive and potential force of the country. Where as the next group of the youths who are psychologically shocked by the are either living in frustration or flee from their origin to save their life and in search of employment in India and gulf countries and less conflict areas of the country.
Generally, the people between 16-40 years of age can be taken as active young population of the society. Young people covers 32 percent of the total population in Nepal and are living in vulnerable position. Every time we see that youths are exploited in wars and conflict that can be read in history books of post wars and conflict and can be realised by observing the current practices of killing innocent people and lose of property. Here are some of the references that present the situation of youth during the conflicting situation of the country.
· Even after the government-Maoist cease-fire announcement, the displaced youths from different villages of Dailekh district of mid western region are hesitate to be back their origin due to the fear from the Maoists. Because the youths had flee to India without getting permission from the Maoists during the time while the security forces was conducting massive operation against insurgents.
· A group of youth from Dhading district of mid region had gone for construction work in Rukum district of mid western hills of the country. Security forces during their patrolling tremendously killed 17 innocent youths on the charge of their involvement in the Maoist movement. This death brought a mournful sorrow in their home and the same time more than a dozen of family lost their care taker one at a time.
· Youths those who represents from Dalit and ethnic community are actively involved in the Maoist movement as a freedom fighter. These ambition is not only limited to achieve the political power rather they are also urging their movement to eliminate all forms of socio-economic and cultural situation of the country. The youths of Dalit community have kept out of national mainstream; it gives rise to frustration and anger, which after all has reflected in the conflict through their active participation as a combatant.
· The education system and the employment status of the country are not interlinked with each other. The university education is not applicable to get employment to all who get degree or specialisation in their subject of interest. Therefore, this results frustration on common youths who does not have other access of solving their hand to mouth problem besides being engaged in proper job based on their academic qualification.
· There are very limited resources to rural youths in comparison to the urban youths. Therefore, the limitation could not fulfill the demands of all youths. This also one of the promonent cause to divert them in conflict with the hope of getting equal opportunity and the violating movement as only one way for freedom.
· The people in the rural areas have suppressed in every aspects of their life. Their social participation has been widely neglected. Their political interest to choose their leaders from their ethnic or cultural community have never been cared and their identity (Philosophical as well as Cultural) have been deserted. As a result, youths have been encouraged to carry guns and to be involved in the never ended conflict.
The above-mentioned points are some of the cause and evidences that influences the youths to be involved in the conflict. The more cause and consequences as well as the way to reduce their involvement in the conflict are going to be discussed here in this article.
Major causes to be increased youth involvement in the conflict:
· Poverty- nearly 45% people are below the line of poverty, which mean that 45 percent people of the country live with earning less than one dolor every day. The social, political attitude towards public has made them helpless. Various districts in the hilly region of every development region have less fertile land there are not various options for employment. Due to the lack of education, the people are not so highly skilled to generate sources of income. These all cause have made them poorer and the state in not taking an significant role to reduce poverty in real sense though the state in every five years plan announces poverty alleviation programme. The poverty has highly blown up to youths because their family members have depended to him/her. As a result, the people from hilly regions especially from mid and far western go to India in search of employment to feed the dependent member of his/her family. Now the trends of youths have also turned towards conflict with the hope of improving their life style and to be freed from suppression.
· Lack of development- Development works in the country has not decentralised. Therefore, the hilly and mountainous regions of the country always remained dark from development aspects. They voted hundreds of politicians but they never see improvements and change in the appearance of their rural village. Their situation could be changed since long. So, this backing situation of their society reflected in conflict. Revolutionary development of the society has come out as their main issue to justify their involvement in conflict.
· Education- Millions of rupees have been spent to improve the educational quality but the investment has been like fake at all. The educational system has proved as traditional “Gurukul” education. The education is not productive and technical that could be sold in the economic market for getting job. So almost qualified youth whether flee to aboard in search of better employment or less qualified youth have gone to the gulf countries and India for low wages work. Among the rest some are living in Nepal with some works and a big volume are involved in conflicting groups. Nepalese education has not endeavoured to build up confidence to the students. The youths feel insecure while they go for higher education one-step to another.
· Employment- There are very few employment opportunities in the country due to various reasons including the lack of industrialisation. Existed agricultural system of the country is not running effectively. Similarly the natural resources like water, forests are nor properly utilising due to the lack of proper vision and working mechanism for getting maximum benefits through this. This has narrowd the area of employment market and the limited opportunities are provided only for political activists of ruling parties. This cause results the underprivileged people always back to be employed and added fuel to increase the youths’ volume in conflict. Recent figure says that nearly 85 percent youth are unemployed and semi-employed.
· Lack of participation- Youths is deprived of getting leading position in development activities; decision-making processes and their social participation have been neglected. Their innovative ideas and visions are neglected by the society. Youths those who wanted to do some concrete thing in the society have been boycot to apply there ideas. They are also out of opportunities for their personal development and for better career.
· Political situation: the 1990s peoples’ movement was restored democracy. The people had expected so many things on that newly democratic environment but the political leaders engaged only for their personal benefit rather than public welfare. Most of the political parties ruled over during 12 years period but they could not lead the nation in favour of people. Corruption, poor governance and political instability are some of the causes to turned the youths into frustration, who was in support of political parties with lots of hope for their better future. This also encouraged them to engage in conflict as the best way to sole the entire problem of the country.
· Social Structure- The discriminatory social structure continued since long in the society. Class division, caste discrimination, suppression, feudalism and degrading identities of minorities was burning invisibly and finally that anger diverted towards violation for getting freedom from all suppressions and social tensions.
· Lack of Responsibility- Youth are never evaluated as a competent person to carry out every responsibilities. People never believe on their potentiality instead they suspected on youth’s credibility and their qualification to hold responsible position. This has also crooked the youths to carry guns for sustainable freedom and to work as a responsible person.
Major Impacts upon youth from the conflict:
· Education- Available educational institutions in the rural areas have been almost closed and badly influenced by the time and again band programme. Some time the schools in the rural areas have been used as shelter and for mass campaign both from the security forces and the Maoists. The examinations have been disturbed and the question paper of the examination have been looted or burnt. These sorts of incident have influenced the educational system and running educational institutions whether they are not so much useful or not.
· Employment- Available employment situation have been cut off and further options have been closed due to the security situation of the country. So, the youths from the country are going to neighbours countries and gulf countries in search of employment. But the recent American attack Iraq even affected the employment situation youths from gulf countries are returning due to the fear. An estimated shows that nearly 85 percent youth are unemployed or semiemployed.
· Psychology- psychologically they have been diverted toward violation. The youths have been distressed by the destructive situation of the society and worried for their unsecured future.
· Displacement/ fleeing- Youth from highly conflicted areas are displacing to the less conflict affected areas and various places of neighbours countries. Displacement has been a great problem of the country and different obstacles have been invited due to this. The social, economical and cultural condition of the nation has also destroyed. The major causes are political revenge, frequent threats and challenges from the Maoists, events of inhuman killings operated by the Maoists, frequent attacks and counter attacks between the conflicting parties and so on.
· Recruitment- Youth recruitment in the conflict both from the state and the Maoist is also a growing concern. On the one hand, unemployment youths from rural areas are recruiting in the state security forces on the other the Maoists are also spontaneously and forcefully recruiting the youths. These potential forces have been alienated in two different clusters and killing each other as enemy. The force, which has to be used in the development activities are involved in the conflict.
· Security- youth are not secured in the society. Some time they have to serve for the security forces and some time in favour of the Maoists. This is not because of their interest rather it is upshot of threatened given by the Maoists as well as the security forces. If both of these conflicting parties know about their duel involvement, the youth either face physical violence or should escape from the society.
Conclusion:
It is needed to analysis relevant actors of youths that fuels the sources of conflict and have to create an understanding and equally important to realise the better ways for their solutions. The Nepalese government should think critically and creatively about social and political alternatives for dealing with conflict situations. Yuvaraj Ghimire in Kantipur daily has written that “leaders in Nepal, aware that the use of arms, whether by the Maoists or state, causes physical, mental and psychological suffering, as well as the death of many innocent people”
In Nepal until the government eliminates the poverty, unemployment, deprivation, people’s ignorance, unequal social structure and neglected youth values in every occupations, conflict will remain forever in the country. Unless solving youth problems as major commands of the development, the conflict groups will frequently motivate youth to be involved in the conflict and couch them carrying guns is an ultimate way for development. Therefore, the first thing is that the state must provide youths rights to make them responsible citizen. The basic rights of youths are quality education, employment opportunities and have to respect their social and cultural identity. Their participation in social affairs should be amplified that develops their capacity to identify the positive and negative aspects of the society and possible ways to improve the situation. Peace education should introduce to youths since the beginning of their adolescent period. They should not be taken as a problem rather they need to be justified the most productive and potential force of the country.